Blue Line O'Hare Project

[Sam92]

I don't see why they don't want to put in a concrete platform at jeff pk, if they are going to put one at Addison. I would spruce up all the elevator equipped stations just to finish them up and get those to at least as good as what was done on the ryan. Maybe then fixthe others when funding becomes available. By the looks of the construction diagram Belmont doesn't look like it's getting any upgrades.

Found it already. Here's the link to the pdf, it says "Congress to Jefferson Park" where the signal project was mentioned, meaning this upcoming signal project isn't redundant as it tackles beyond Jefferson Park to O'Hare. BUT the Dearborn subway trackwork is definately redundant as they had 2 track projects under there already: (2007 and 2009) http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.transitchicago.com%2Fassets%2F1%2Fboard_presentations%2F0711PresReportConstReorg.pdf&ei=KBKlUvCFKuPhyQGntYGgCw&usg=AFQjCNFIKAjIqsh9YJ1FmHL8fPF2LCnpBg&sig2=SGFYVBXoZSOJzCBmse6NrA

[Busjack]

I remember that project only covering signals up to Jefferson Park but I could be wrong and will double check. The upgrades here are beyond Jefferson Park to O'Hare which wouldn't be redundant in that case, I'll flips through some more documents from that time to be sure though.

That is undoubtedly correct, as the extension past there was the first one to get the bidirectional signals, which now are standard.

However, between that and the job that put in the rubber ties, you wonder what if any work is needed past Jefferson Park. For instance, I assume that track conditions between Belmont and Jefferson Park are similar to on the Dan Ryan, but only because they are of similar age.

[qwantae]

So the Addison Stop is the only Station during this project going to have an Elevator? What about Montrose which it's almost the same as Addison? As for Belmont, it got room where they can put an Elevator next to Escalator to Platform and then another Elevator next to Booth near Kimball Northbound bus stop. I don't know about Irving Park which it's too narrow but they can restructure to make it similar to Red Line Loyota Station by putting two elevators, Northbound Platform from Pulaski side Southbound platform at Irving Park side. At least Damen (Wicker Park Business), Chicago Ave, Division and Clinton (for Greyhound/ Amtrak passengers) also needs to be Accessible.

[ctrabs74]

I really doubt that that many take the Blue Line, as opposed to airport shuttles, taxis, rent a car, etc.

The Aug. Ridership report indicates 11,000 boardings a day. I guess one can assume as many departures. I'll bet (based on the stories about the $5 fare), most of them are airport employees.

If one wanted to tally the number of shuttle buses, one would have to consider all the stations on the branch. That would get you to 82,000, which admittedly is more than the about 32,000 on the April Ridership Report for the Red Line stations that didn't have parallel Red Line service on the Green Line tracks. I suppose that a few riders could be convinced to continue to the Brown Line.

That doesn't sound too far off base. I doubt too many people who fly into O'Hare (or, for that matter, Midway) would lug suitcases on to the L. I might be mistaken, but that's pretty much the case for most transit systems who operate service to the Airport, whether it's bus, heavy rail or railroad.

[Busjack]

So the Addison Stop is the only Station during this project going to have an Elevator? What about Montrose which it's almost the same as Addison? As for Belmont, it got room where they can put an Elevator next to Escalator to Platform and then another Elevator next to Booth near Kimball Northbound bus stop. I don't know about Irving Park which it's too narrow but they can restructure to make it similar to Red Line Loyota Station by putting two elevators, Northbound Platform from Pulaski side Southbound platform at Irving Park side. At least Damen (Wicker Park Business), Chicago Ave, Division and Clinton (for Greyhound/ Amtrak passengers) also needs to be Accessible.

One would think that they would use the same standards as the Dan Ryan rehab, but it doesn't look that way. When you bring up subway stations, one has to go back to the work on Chicago-State, Grand-State, and Clark & Division, where the street was closed for a couple of years each.

Also, I don't know how relevant it is, but I bet the subway is still owned by CDOT rather than CTA (going back to construction starting in the early 1940s, when CRT was still private).

[Busjack]

On the "they keep spending money, but it is never fixed" theme, the home page has a link to NewsRadio 780/105.9 pointing out that the speed promised by Claypool is less than what was promised by Huberman the last time repairs were done.

"That round of slow zone repairs failed to hold up, and the 70 m.p.h. promise went unfulfilled."

[chicagopcclcar]

On the "they keep spending money, but it is never fixed" theme, the home page has a link to NewsRadio 780/105.9 pointing out that the speed promised by Claypool is less than what was promised by Huberman the last time repairs were done.

"That round of slow zone repairs failed to hold up, and the 70 m.p.h. promise went unfulfilled."

There is a "new look" ideas about top speeds......70 mph is out.

[BusHunter]

Yeah, they are boasting speeds will increase to 55 MPH. Speeds are already that fast north of the portal NB from the Kimball subway. I don't see where they need to fix the dearborn subway tracks either under Milwaukee. They just need to work on all new tracks from the kimball portal from the expwy through the wood street descent to the dearborn subway. I would retrack the kimball subway with the same ties and infrastructure as the expressway. Rehab the elevated structure and fix the tracks and that should take care of the tracks.

I don't know why Addison is so important to make accessible. It must be Wrigley Field. I just hope they address a south side entrance. With handicapped accessibility concerns that may be a real possibility.

[Busjack]

...

I don't know why Addison is so important to make accessible. It must be Wrigley Field. I just hope they address a south side entrance. With handicapped accessibility concerns that may be a real possibility.

It probably also is based on what puts articulated buses on Addison, i.e. that stop is closer to Lane Tech and Gordon Tech.

qwante poses the better question, why not Irving Park and Montrose, setting aside the issues I raised with regard to the subway stations.

[BusHunter]

Irving pk is probably one of the most difficult stops to put elevators just because the platforms are narrow and an elevator would take half of the platform and there would be little or no space for a wheelchair to pass. All they could do is rework the far side exit/entrance stairs and build an elevator shaft Into the ends of the platform with a pedestrian light for the wheelchairs to cross at street level. Montrose has the space. Maybe it's ridership is low. On the other hand wby not do Belmont? It has a top six route connecting, the #77 and it has a cross street the #82 also. Addison is just one street.

[Busjack]

... On the other hand wby not do Belmont? It has a top six route connecting, the #77 and it has a cross street the #82 also. Addison is just one street.

That one probably also has to do with the cost of subway construction, although I figure it has to be more like Logan Square than the State St. jobs.

[Busjack]

....So again guys, can we let the CTA and more specifically CTA management have the accolades for actually doing something big the right way for once?

Note that I said that the Dan Ryan job was under scrutiny. Also time will tell whether there are latent defects.

My point was that the just announced Blue Line job seems the slap dash job that the 2005-2007 Dan Ryan job was, more like that Quinn had to get out there to announce the small state share apparently for political reasons than CTA really defining the scope of the project. This time, NewsRadio called them on the last Blue Line project.

Now, if someone in the Construction Dept. would come out and say exactly what is being bid out in this project, and what the milestones are, that would be different. But, like such things as the Brown Line connector not being done as part of the Brown Line project, it looks like $490 million being spent in a slapdash manner, for supposed political advantage.